Speaker Biographies

Speaker Biographies Edward L. Ayers, Ph.D. Dr. Ayers, a nationally recognized scholar and educator, became the ninth president of the University of Richmond on July 1, 2007. Dr. Ayers came to Richmond from the University of Virginia, where he served as the Buckner W. Clay Dean of Arts and Sciences and the Hugh P. Kelly Professor of History. As dean, he led a school with 25 departments, more than 50 majors, approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 575 tenured or tenure-track professors. At Virginia, Ayers led major fundraising initiatives resulting in more than $110 million for the College of Arts and Sciences and the largest addition to the central Grounds in a century. He also created a January Term, strengthened advising, and secured a large increase in funding to hire new faculty. The recipient of numerous awards for his teaching and scholarship, Ayers was named U.S. Professor of the Year for Doctoral and Research Universities by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2003. One of the nation’s leading scholars on the history of the American South, he has authored or edited nine books, one of which was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Ayers also pioneered in digital media with “The Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War.” In 2000, it won the first annual eLincoln Prize for best digital work on the era of the American Civil War. Ayers received his education at the University of Tennessee and Yale University, where he earned his Ph.D. in American Studies. He and his wife, Abby, are the parents of two children. Their daughter, Hannah, is a student at the College of William and Mary. Their son, Nate, recently graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University. Abby Ayers, also a graduate of the University of Tennessee, is a former teacher and an active volunteer with children’s organizations. Kristen Binette Kristen Binette serves as Senior Assistant Director of Admission and Director of the Alumni Recruitment Committee at the University of Richmond. She is also a first-year Richmond MBA student. Kristen graduated from Washington and Lee University in 2000, and spent six years working in the admission office of her alma mater. She is a member of national and regional professional admission organizations as well as the Richmond MBA Leadership Council, the Washington and Lee Richmond Alumni Chapter Board, the Kappa Delta-Zeta Tau Chapter Alumnae Board and Housing Corporation, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Art’s Friends of Art. Sherrie L. Brach Sherrie Brach is the Chief Executive Officer of United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg. She is responsible for one of the largest United Ways in the United States, which is categorized as a “Metro 1” organization in the United Way system. Metro 1 organization’s raise up to $25,000,000. She leads a Management Team of four Vice Presidents and a total of 65 employees. Sherrie has served in the role of Chief Operating Officer, Vice President of Resource Development and Campaign Director at this United Way. Sherrie has over 20 years of experience in the United Way system including seven years in Tacoma, Washington as Campaign Manager and Vice President of Marketing and Resource Development. Before joining the United Way system, Sherrie was the Director of Community Affairs for the Department of Defense in Germany, Director of Marketing for a local McDonald’s franchise in Oklahoma and Director of Development for the American Lung Association of West Virginia. United Way of America: Committee Member and Organizational Development Consultant of the National Brand Initiative, Facilitator of the New Presidents Forum, Member of National Professional Council and an Instructor for the National Academy of Volunteerism. Richmond Service Area: Sherrie currently serves on the Boards of Central Virginia Better Business Bureau Board, Richmond Weed & Seed, Homeward, LMR and various other committees. Sherrie was also selected as a Fellow for the Urban Health Initiative, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2007 YWCA Outstanding Womens Awards recipient and a graduate of Leadership Metro Richmond. Sherrie holds a Bachelors degree in Public Relations from West Virginia University. James W. Dunn Jim is the President and CEO of the Greater Richmond Chamber. His career as a professional chamber executive began in 1970 in Devils Lake, North Dakota. During the ensuing 35 years, he has served local chambers in Ohio, Virginia and Georgia, prior to assuming his current position as president and CEO of the Greater Richmond Chamber (of Commerce) in October of 1990. He was born and raised on a farm in Washington Court House, Ohio and was educated at Ohio State University, studying business administration. Following college, Jim completed a four-year tour in the U. S. Air Force, serving most of his assignment in Wiesbaden, Germany. Dedicated to the advancement of his profession, Jim is a past Director of the Ohio, Georgia, and Virginia Associations of Chamber of Commerce Directors, and past President of the Virginia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives and past Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives. He received the 1999 Leadership Award presented by the Richmond First Club and University of Richmond’s Jepson School of Leadership Studies, recognizing his leadership in advancing the quality of governance, of public service, and of life in the Richmond Metropolitan region, was Style Magazine’s Richmonder of the Year for 2000 and received Leadership Metro Richmond’s 2005 Ukrop Community Vision Award. In 1986, he was awarded the Certified Chamber Executive designation by ACCE. Jim also received ACCE’s coveted Chairman’s Award in 1990, and was recognized as Virginia’s Outstanding Chamber Executive in 1995. Jim serves on the Boards of Directors of the Richmond Convention & Visitors Bureau, Greater Richmond Partnership, the Virginia Center for Healthy Communities and both the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University Business School Advisory Boards and Salisbury Country Club. He is the current chairman of The Forum Club. Grant Garcia Grant Garcia is a full-time student in the University of Richmond MBA program. Prior to returning to the University of Richmond, Grant worked as a political consultant to Fortune 500 companies and served as Legislative Assistant to a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. He has additional experience working with members of the U.S. House of Representatives and various government affairs and lobbying organizations in Washington, D.C. He is currently an intern at BB&T Capital Markets and will be working as a Summer Associate with Matrix Capital Markets Group in 2008. Grant earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Richmond and is a member of the University’s MBA class of 2009. He is also an alumnus of the Bryce Harlow Institute on Business and Government Affairs at Georgetown University. Gail W. Johnson, RN, MS Gail Johnson is President of Rainbow Station and PRISM, Inc. As a pediatric nurse at the Medical College of Virginia, she observed the lack of services for children and working parents and developed the concept of a place where children with usual childhood illnesses, and/or chronic medical conditions, could go when their parents had to go work. In 1989, she launched the Get Well Place at Rainbow Station, an infirmary for mildly ill children that is staffed by a full-time pediatric nurse. Rainbow Station also offers Preschool, Nursery School, Private Kindergarten, and recreation programs (in the Village) as well as Prescribed Pediatric Nursing Care for children with chronic medical conditions that require professional nursing. In 1996, Rainbow Station was chosen as a Rising 25—A Top 25 Fastest-Growing Company, was one of 19 finalists for the Virginia State Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and was named the Greater Richmond Small Business Person of the Year. Gail was named Virginia Small Business Person of the Year in 1997. In 2002 and 2003, respectively, Gail was named YMCA Outstanding Woman in Business and the Innsbrook Rotary’s Business Leader. Gail is, and has been, active in many local and national business and industry associations including the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Child Daycare Council, state and local associations for early childhood education and the Virginia Council of CEOs. Colleen A. Kraft, M.D, FAAP Colleen A. Kraft, M.D., FAAP is the President of the Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. In her private practice with Pediatric and Adolescent Health Partners in Richmond, Virginia she develops innovative ways to address morbidities new to the practice of pediatrics. In her previous practice, she served as Managing Partner. She also teaches in the Division of Community Pediatrics at Virginia Commonwealth University, and is Medical Director of Medical Home Plus, Inc., a non-profit that complements the Medical Home by connecting families and physicians with community resources. Born in Akron, Ohio, Dr. Kraft was in an inaugural Head Start class in 1965. She received her B.A. from Virginia Tech, her M.D. from the Medical College of Virginia, and completed pediatric training at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals. For the past twenty years, she has taught medical students and residents in classroom and clinical settings here and abroad. As President of the Virginia Chapter, Dr. Kraft is often quoted in media and print about the excellent return on public investments in children’s health. She is well known to the Governor’s staff, State and Federal legislators, insurance companies as well as Medicaid and health department officials. Dr. Kraft has spoken nationally and internationally on numerous pediatric topics, serves on the Executive Committee of the Council on Community Pediatrics, and writes for the Section on International Child Health Newsletter.

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